


thinking about you (you know i always do)

by callmeshaq



Category: IT (Movies - Muschietti)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, M/M, Mutual Pining, also one (1) suicide joke in the very beginning, sonia isn't the way she usually is just overprotective (but that's not really relevant so), they are all slightly ooc cuz idk how to write
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-30
Updated: 2020-01-30
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:07:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,615
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22484614
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/callmeshaq/pseuds/callmeshaq
Summary: In which Mike and Richie are best friends crushing on Stan and Eddie, who are also best friends, respectively. Title from “Marlboro Nights” by Lonely God.
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak & Stanley Uris, Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier, Mike Hanlon & Richie Tozier, Mike Hanlon/Stanley Uris
Comments: 8
Kudos: 83





	thinking about you (you know i always do)

“Mike, if I don’t come to school tomorrow, it’s because I killed myself,” Mike looked up from his book to see his best friend plopping down into his seat. He looked ridiculous with his Hawaiian button up on top of a striped shirt, his glasses slightly askew on his face.

“Um, okay. Why are you killing yourself?” he asked, dog-earring the page and closing the book.

“Oh my god, it was so bad. He’ll never talk to me again,” Richie groaned, finally reaching up to fix his glasses. And that’s when Mike knew what had happened.

He sighed in exasperation, “You say that every time and what happens? He talks to you.”

“No, but you don’t get, Mikey, it was…” Richie couldn’t find a word that was strong enough for his catastrophe. “I accidentally hit him. In the nose.”

Mike couldn’t stop the huff of laughter that escaped his throat. Richie moaned, “Stop laughing, you dick.”

Mike schooled his face into one of sincerity, “How’d that happen?”

“I don’t know. One second I was getting my stuff from my locker and got scared by a voice coming from behind me. Next thing I know I’m apologizing to Eddie for bruising his nose and his mom’s trying to kill me just by staring at me,”

“Can I laugh now?” Mike doesn’t wait for an answer. Richie’s glare makes him cackle harder.

\---

Mike is the last one from the football team remaining on the field. Coach had asked him to stay back so they could have a word, where Mike was informed of the possibility of him making captaincy next year. He couldn’t believe it. Football is one of his favorite things in the world, so to possibly lead the team? He didn’t think he could become any happier for the rest of the day.

“Mike!”

He was wrong, because traipsing down the bleachers towards him was Stan. Stan with tight ringlets of blond curls styled neatly on top of his head. Stan, with his khaki shorts despite the chill in the air and an ironed button up tucked inside the waistband. Stan, with that shy, reserved smile that puts his dimples on display that is being directed at Mike.

Mike cleared his throat, “Um, hey.” 

He tried to smile but he feels how awkward it looks and drops it. He paused so Stan could catch up to him.

“You did great!” Stan grinned, the two began walking together.

“You-- you were watching?” Mike panicked. Jesus, if he knew he probably would’ve waved or something. Oh God, what if Stan thought he was rude?

“Of course. I always do. At least for a little bit before Eddie’s dragging me to the car,” Stan said, a fond smile appearing on his face. Not that he would admit to it. Because of that, Mike ignores it despite the butterflies that started fluttering in his belly at the sight of it. (Why did that happen? Stan was obviously smiling about Eddie. Mike ignores the pang that hits at that thought.)

“Always? I’ve never seen you,” Mike stated.

“Yeah, you’re always pretty concentrated, so,” Stan stated, an affectionate lilt in his tone. “It’s cute.”

Mike had never been more grateful for his skin tone. While it didn’t hide his blush completely, in fact you could still see it pretty well, it was not full frontal like Stan’s currently was. The two boys walked in silence for a few seconds.

“How is Eddie? His nose okay?” Mike asked, genuinely concerned.

“Oh, uh,” Stan shook his head slightly. “Yeah, he’s really only upset that he had to go home with his mom.” He offered no further explanation. Everyone in town knows how overbearing Sonia Kaspbrak is. “He was pissed that he didn’t get to flirt with Richie today.”

“Oh, that’s what he calls it?” Mike laughed. The two constantly bickered; Richie telling ‘your mom’ jokes and Eddie telling him to shut up. What a strange kink to have. 

“I wish they’d get it over with already. I’m tired of Richie crying about Eddie ‘not talking to him ever again.’” Mike said. The boys reached the locker room door, halting their movement.

“Eddie’s getting there. It sucks to blatantly flirt with someone and they still don’t do anything. He’s tired of it,” Stan replied. Mike heard something in his tone change but Stan opened his mouth to say something else so Mike figured he had imagined it.

“I’ll let you go get changed but first, I actually had a question,” Stan said. Mike raised his brows in acknowledgement. “Would you and Richie like to hang with me and Eddie sometime? You know, we can all get to know each other better.”

“Uh…” Mike peered to the side pretending to remember his and Richie’s schedule. It was empty. Besides Mike’s football and Richie’s theatre, the two only ever spend time with each other.

Wow, that’s sad.

“Yeah, we’re free,” Mike smiled. Stan grinned in response and pulled out a note with his number on it from his pocket.

“Feel free to call whenever,” he bit his lip, went onto his toes, and kissed Mike on the cheek before turning to walk down the corridor to the parking lot. Mike watched him the whole way.

\---

“Yeah, sure,” Richie said, somewhat distracted by the video game he’s playing. “It’s always good to spend time with your future stepchild, you know?”

Mike rolled his eyes as he aggressively pressed the keys on his remote, “Don’t act like that. You know you’re excited.”

Richie made the winning kill but didn’t bother to celebrate, setting down the remote and turning to his friend, “More like so nervous I feel like I’m gonna shit my heart out my ass.”

“Why?”

“We’ve never hung out with them or talked to them outside of school. What if Eddie can only handle me in moderation? What if I’m too much?”

“You? Too much? Never,” Mike replied, sarcastically.

“Mike, I’m serious. I’m surprised you’re still friends with me, honestly.” Richie grumbled.

“Listen. Yeah, you can be a bit much sometimes but who isn’t? I’m sure I am,” Mike said.

“Yeah, you do go a bit extreme on the whole ‘animals are our friends’ thing sometimes,” Richie confirmed. Mike glowered, “Shut up.”

The friends laughed.

“But seriously, you’re an amazing person and a great friend. I could never get tired of you. I love you, man, and if Eddie can’t see that then he’s not it,” Mike reassured.

“I love you, too... No homo,” Richie snickered. Mike grabbed a pillow from behind him and threw it at his friend’s face.

“Ow! Mrs. Hanlon!”

\---

Mike pulled his truck into the parking spot directly facing the bowling alley. He blew out a heavy breath and shook his body, trying to get into the mindset to walk into the building. 

“What the fuck was that?” Richie asked. Mike had almost forgotten that he was in the passenger’s seat.

“Just preparing,” Mike said.

“For what? It’s just a bowling alley,” Richie stated.

Mike pulled the keys out of the ignition signaling the end of the conversation. He has enough restraint to hold from calling Richie out on his hypocrisy. He had walked to Richie’s bedroom to find him practicing jokes in front of the mirror. The two proceeded to act as if that never transpired as they told Maggie and Went goodbye and proceeded to the venue they currently sat in front of. 

The two made their way inside where, thankfully, the shoe rental line was short so they traded them in and went towards Lane 3, since Stan had already paid, where Stan and Eddie were waiting. Stan and Eddie were in deep conversation when Stan looked up and saw Mike and Richie just as they reached them.

“Hi, Mike!” Stan exclaimed.

Mike opened his mouth but was interrupted by Richie, “Hi, Stan. I’m here too.”

Stan rolled his eyes, “Hi, Richie.”

Richie winked and moved his attention to the small brunette boy that has yet to speak, “Eds!”

“Not my name,” Eddie groaned. “Hey, Rich.”

Mike tuned them out as Richie began to speak something about baby shoes, causing Eddie to guffaw. He drank in Stan’s outfit: denim jeans and a sweatshirt with their school’s logo on it. It’s strange. Mike has never seen him dress this way before. The two didn’t say anything to one another, just watching the other before Stan broke the silence.

“Let’s play, yeah?”

\---

The group has been playing for about an hour, their second game ready to come to a close. Eddie is winning and Mike is in last place.

“You would think the quarterback could aim a bowling ball,” Stan teased.

“It’s a ball I’m not used to, Stan. More weight,” Mike replied playfully. Stan shook his head in amusement, clearly not falling for the excuse. Mike doesn’t blame him since it was a lie, but what is he supposed to say?

_“I’m not trying because I just want to come back and speak to you as soon as I can, for as long as I can?” ___

__Please. He’s not that stupid._ _

__“Mikey! It’s your turn,” Richie’s voice breaks Mike out of his thoughts. Mike gathers his ball from the machine and positions himself at the lane before proceeding to roll the ball without any forethought. He ends up having to go again, resulting in a spare, and the game is now officially over._ _

__Richie proceeds to talk Eddie’s ear off at his victory, Eddie not paying him any attention. Mike watches as Eddie and Stan have a silent conversation with their eyes. After a few seconds the two nod, and Stan turns his attention to Mike._ _

__“Wanna get outta here?”_ _

__Mike’s mouth dropped slightly as he tried to form a coherent thought, “What about them?” He points to their friends who are already gathering their things to leave, seemingly uncaring about anyone else._ _

__“We’ll meet up with them later, promise.” Stan’s dimples made another appearance, his eyes seeming to ask Mike to say yes. So he does._ _

__“What’re we waiting for then?”_ _

__\---_ _

__The boys found themselves lying on their backs within the field surrounding one of Derry’s few playgrounds. Stan is explaining the migration pattern of some of the birds in the area but Mike isn’t really listening. It’s interesting to watch Stan when he’s speaking about something he’s passionate about._ _

__Mike doesn’t get to see much of it because of school being the only place the two ever truly interact with one another, and when they do it’s never like this. It’s never just the two of them under the stars after a night out with their best friends where they talk about everything and nothing, their passions and their pet peeves. It’s wonderful. Mike wishes for more times like these._ _

__Stan stopped talking and turned his head to face Mike, “Thanks for coming out tonight.”_ _

__Mike snorted, “Thanks for paying. You didn’t have to.”_ _

__“Please,” Stan retorted, rolling his eyes slightly. “I’m the one who asked. Besides, I only paid for the two of us.”_ _

__Mike didn’t know why he felt so pleased about that statement, but he feels a lot of things around Stan that he can’t explain._ _

__“I’ll race you to the swingset,” Mike challenged._ _

__Stan sat up so Mike did the same, “Okay. Loser has to push the winner.” Mike pretended to think about it before nodding in agreement, pushing himself off of the ground before helping Stan. Stan’s hands lingered in his for a beat too long before Mike turned away blushing. He missed Stan’s smirk._ _

__“Don’t think it’ll be that easy. I play baseball remember,” Stan quipped. Mike hummed. How couldn’t he? He’s had fantasies about the boy in the uniform more times than he’d like to admit._ _

__“Set,” the two get into position. “Go!”_ _

__Stan just barely beats him, but Mike can’t complain. The giant smile on Stan’s face and the sparkle in his eyes makes it worth it._ _

__Stan plops himself into the seat before mockingly gesturing his hand, “Push me, peasant!”_ _

__Mike laughed and did just that. He doesn’t know how long the two played on the playground after that. He just knows that he went home with a grin that couldn’t seem to leave his face._ _

__\---_ _

__Mike, Stan, Richie, and Eddie began to hang out many more times after that. Everyday, almost, actually. Sometimes it’s just Mike and Stan, though, and those are Mike’s favorite days. They never do much but it’s always perfect in his eyes. He doesn’t know if anything he ever does with Stan could ever be less than perfect._ _

__Even though it could be even more so if they were boyfriends, but he won’t tell Stan that._ _

__And, really, Mike’s fine with the fact that they are just friends. He is. It just sucks that while he is wishing for more, Stan doesn’t want that. But he can deal. He can. (Even if Richie and Eddie finally got their shit together.) He can._ _

__\---_ _

__It’s around time for Homecoming now so Mike’s practices have been longer and more intense than usual. The team’s Homecoming game is against their biggest rivals from the next town over in Castle Rock, the Grizzlies. Because of that, he hasn’t really seen Stan, Eddie, or even Richie outside of school very much for the past week._ _

__It is during one of these practices, while the team is having a water break, that Mike gets the surprise of his life. At the corner of the field, Coach is speaking to someone that Mike can’t see due to the man blocking them. Mike watches as his coach bobs his head up and down then moves to the side to let the individual walk by him. It’s Stan. Why is he here?_ _

__And why is he carrying all of that stuff with him?_ _

__Everyone that populates the field, and their cell phones, watch as Stan makes his way to the bench, a sign clenched beneath his armpit and holding a teddy bear and balloons. Mike’s eyes grow as wide as saucers when Stan stops in front of him._ _

__“Stan? What’re you doing?” Mike questioned._ _

__“What you won’t,” Stan replied. Mike goes to say something but is stopped by Stan. “Mike, I like you.”_ _

__What?_ _

__“I like you a lot. And I know you like me too.”_ _

___What? ____ _

____“That’s why I asked you out in the first place. And why I keep asking you out but you aren’t doing anything about it.”_ _ _ _

____Wait, _those were dates? _____ _ _

______“I’m tired of it. So,” Stan removed the sign from his armpit and held it to his chest, the words facing Mike._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Will you go to Homecoming with me?” faces Mike in giant letters. “(and finally be my boyfriend, you big oaf),” is underneath it in smaller letters. It’s a beautiful sign: hand drawn and uses Mike’s favorite colors as its scheme._ _ _ _ _ _

______Mike didn’t know what to say so he did what the only thing he thought he could do. Biting his lip to refrain from the humongous smile threatening to escape, he stands, takes the gifts and the sign, and lay them onto the bench behind him before pushing himself flush against Stan for a deep kiss._ _ _ _ _ _

______Everyone began to cheer but were quickly drowned out by the sensation of Stan’s lips moving against his as the two wrapped their arms around each other. When air becomes a necessity the two break the kiss, their foreheads remaining in contact as their breaths mingled. Mike opened his eyes to see Stan’s already on him, goofy smiles present on both of their faces._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Yes to both, you goof,” Stan’s face lights up as he pulls Mike in for another kiss._ _ _ _ _ _


End file.
